Fear is something that consumes all of us at one time or another. What matters is whether you let your fear control you or parts of your decision-making? And if so, is fear something we can improve upon?

One day last September, I stumbled upon an article about retired NFL linemen who were struggling with their weight. A study mentioned in the article showed the life expectancy for those former linemen was significantly shorter than their normal weight peers.

Rebecca Privitera desperately wanted to lose the excess weight she had carried around her entire life. In 2010, she had the opportunity to do it when her employer organized a company weight loss challenge.

Cholesterol has long been seen as a villain for heart health, but our understanding of this beast is changing. New recommendations suggest that risk factors should determine who should receive drugs called statins to lower cholesterol levels, and who should simply make lifestyle changes to combat the problem.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the road a lot, whether he's filming a movie in Bulgaria or presenting awards to ridiculously fit people in Spain. So who better to offer tips on working out while traveling?

With less than 48 hours to go before our Fit Nation team tackles its first triathlon in Malibu, California, we asked them to reflect on the past nine months of training. Here are the top five lessons they learned:

In just a few weeks, the CNN Fit Nation team will join hundreds of others at the starting line of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Of course, the ultimate goal is not simply to hear the sound of the starter's gun but also to cross that hallowed finish line.

Brian McLaughlin used to arrive 20 minutes early to on-site client meetings. He would drive around the parking lot to find a space close to the building, and then go inside to cool off from the short walk. The extra weight he was carrying made him sweat constantly inside his suit.

Kay and Mike Alexander's journey to obesity is a familiar road for many married couples. Neither was overweight when they met on a coffee break at work. Nor were they obese when they cut their wedding cake, iced with an image of Star Trek's USS Enterprise.

John Moses plays tennis every week. He does push-ups and planks, shoulder presses and squats. He attends group fitness classes at an activity center three times a week, often taking two classes on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Edwin Velez used to have to suck in his stomach in order to tie his shoes. He requested tables at restaurants, rather than booths, and constantly made jokes about himself in order to hide how uncomfortable he was about his physical appearance.

Before I applied for the CNN Fit Nation program, I thought I knew quite a bit about the sport of triathlon. I had volunteered at a few races, helping athletes navigate the courses, and I even witnessed newly crowned world champions crossing the finish line.

Debbie Benzine lost her first husband to heart disease when he was 44. His death left her to raise a young child alone. For 16 years, she stayed single because, "going through it once was enough for me."

Less cancer treatment may be better, and being in good physical shape may help keep cancer away, according to the latest research being presented at the largest convergence of cancer experts worldwide.

Theresa Borawski sat down heavily on a neighbor's porch, somewhere in between her front door and her good friend's driveway. The distance between the two was less than half a mile. It might as well have been 20.

The Fit Nation "6-Pack" is visiting the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida, this week to learn more about biking, swimming and running. Like many newcomers to the sport of triathlon, they've made some mistakes early on. This trip, halfway through the training, is about fixing those mistakes.

The hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon -- and out again -- was symbolic for Melissa Schaaf. It was a sign of how far she had come, a sign that the middle-aged mom of two was active, adventurous and alive.